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Rebellion in China

By Marielena Montesino de Stuart

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

“The Communist thugs in Beijing are now interested in social stability—after decades of exterminating their own people. This sudden benevolence is nothing but a theatrical mask to cover Beijing’s fear of political uprisings—such as the ones occurring in the Middle East—also known as the “Arab Spring”. Imagine millions of Chinese on the streets protesting. Imagine the tumultuous effect of a mammoth Tiananmen Square-like protest.”— Marielena Montesino de Stuart in The Beijing Affair (May 19, 2011).

Beijing feared this moment– but it’s here– rebellion in China. This may not be the first time that the Chinese people rebel against their communist oppressors– but it is different, in that it follows in the footsteps of the “Arab Spring”– in other words, the feeling that rebellion is in the air. This trend was also very evident today when several women in Saudi Arabia defied one of their country’s laws, which denies them the right to drive a vehicle. Social media messages circled the globe offering support by saying, “Saudi women, start your engines”. This is far from a small step for women in Saudi Arabia, where they can be killed, under the law, if accused of infidelity or pre-marital relations.

The Chinese Communist government knows that this environment of rebellion challenges their dictatorship in ways that they may not be able to control, except through massacre or imprisonment of protestors. But Chinese citizens are defying their oppressors, by mobilizing against corruption and persecution. These large scale outbursts and unrest taking place across China appear to have started as a reaction to the Chinese government’s abusive practices in compensation owed to citizens, for land seized for development.

Last week, in Guangzhou province, police pushed a pregnant migrant worker to the ground, to force her to move her food stand off a road in the town of Xintang. Angry migrant workers filled the streets, setting vehicles on fire and hurling bricks at police buildings. By Sunday, communist government forces were using shotguns and tear gas to control the protestors.

This is why China’s Premier, Wen Jiabao, during the Fourth Session of the Eleventh National People’s Congress, made promises to urgently address inflation as a threat to social stability and future economic growth. As I wrote in The Beijing Affair, this concern for social stability is not because the Beijing communist despots care about China’s citizens– but simply because they fear a “Chinese Spring”– similar to the Middle Eastern and North African protests, commonly referred to as the “Arab Spring”.

Chinese culture generally measures the acceptance of changes through the prism of its ancient history. Yet nothing could be more foreign to the traditional Chinese family than the communist way of life. Exposure to capitalism has not solved China’s biggest problem in modern times– that is, that this ancient culture lives under the control of a brutal and murderous communist government– a dictatorship which has also controlled the way in which they experience modern life.

Meanwhile, diplomatic circles on both sides seem to be dealing with the news of these riots in a rather quiet way. Henry Kissinger, the guru of U.S.-China diplomacy since 1971, spoke to Greta Van Susteren during an interview which was aired Wednesday night on Fox, where Van Susteren asked Kissinger questions centered around the promotion of his new book titled, On China.

Kissinger spoke about China’s history, and the importance of a “partnership” which should include American awareness of Chinese sensibilities. This, of course, is common diplomatic talk– which almost always excludes any mention of Communism as the true affront on the Chinese culture– such as mass sterilization of its citizens, violent forced abortions, as well as imprisonment and execution of dissenters.

Mr. Kissinger seems to miss the point.

Americans are not interested in disrespecting Chinese traditional values and sensibilities. Americans are interested in combating the Communist dictatorship that is oppressing its people– and threatening the United States strategically, both through development of dangerous weapons and support of rogue states like North Korea and Iran.

While one can assume that Kissinger’s interview may have been recorded earlier, the absence of additional or updated commentary about the rebellion in China is more than noteworthy– considering that it erupted several days ago.

Communism, with its powerful persecution machine, represses freedom of expression and religion wherever it rears its ugly head– and that includes Vietnam. Ironically, during the past two weeks Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have had Anti-China riots, over disputed waters. Vietnam is carrying out live-fire drills in the South China Sea while tensions escalate with Beijing.

Chinese state news claims that the Vietnamese fire drill is a military show of force to defy Beijing. So, Beijing is not only facing protests from its citizens– but now it is also facing protests from another communist state. This may be the beginning of the self-destruction of communism in Asia.

Yesterday I spoke with a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and a nun, visiting the U.S. as part of a larger group. I have chosen to protect their identities given the fact that they are trying to carry out their spiritual practices under the Vietnamese Communist government’s watchful eye. Like any spiritual or religious group in a communist state, these Vietnamese Buddhist monks and nuns are always subject to government intervention and restrictions.

I asked the monk if the Vietnamese government restricted their practices, and from his response it appears that Hanoi’s repressive government is alive and well.. The nun argued that the Vietnamese government cannot control everything that over 90 million Vietnamese citizens do– and that through the practice of her spirituality she is able to mentally block the controlled environment.

Current Vietnamese Buddhism has become more and more syncretic, as such, it is also more understanding of the reality of other Buddhist groups. So, I asked the monk how he felt about China’s recent shut down of occupied Tibet to foreigners– as a desperate measure to prevent protests during the upcoming 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party. His response was mostly centered on the concern for the poverty and the suffering of the Tibetan people– who continue to practice the Yellow Hat form of Buddhism, in spite of Beijing’s occupation and relentless abusive practices.

The question is, what will Washington do as Beijing escalates its violence against the Chinese population– particularly when considering President Obama’s current strategy of taking out Ghadafi in Libya, for his violent treatment of the Libyan people.

When it comes to the human spirit, Chinese people are no different than Americans. More important than Kissinger’s concern with China’s ancient ways, is the natural order that God has decreed for man, which includes the irrepressible hope for a better life.

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